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Thursday, February 08, 2007

Job Security

So I haven’t really been paying attention to the various lies knowingly spread about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (who, incidentally, has higher approval ratings than Newt Gingrich had at any point in his entire Speakership). I knew that various political hacks were spreading fabrications but, hey, I've got a life to lead, y’know.

But when my pal, the Sergeant at Arms for the House of Representatives issues a statement, I listen, and not just because he’s checked out Left of the Dial on more than one occasion. [True story.]

For Immediate Release
February 8, 2007

As the Sergeant at Arms, I have the responsibility to ensure the security of the members of the House of Representatives, to include the Speaker of the House. The Speaker requires additional precautions due to her responsibilities as the leader of the House and her Constitutional position as second in the line of succession to the presidency.

In a post 9/11 threat environment, it is reasonable and prudent to provide military aircraft to the Speaker for official travel between Washington and her district. The practice began with Speaker Hastert and I have recommended that it continue with Speaker Pelosi. The fact that Speaker Pelosi lives in California compelled me to request an aircraft that is capable of making non-stop flights for security purposes, unless such an aircraft is unavailable. This will ensure communications capabilities and also enhance security. I made the recommendation to use military aircraft based upon the need to provide necessary levels of security for ranking national leaders, such as the Speaker. I regret that an issue that is exclusively considered and decided in a security context has evolved into a political issue.

So. That settles that.

The remaining questions are: why were these lies being told? Because she’s a woman? Or because she’s a Democrat? Or because she's a female Democrat who's second-in-line to the presidency? And why did the mainstream media disseminate them for several days without verifying their facts?